It was difficult for Naorem Roshibina Devi not to think of the ‘burning Manipur’, embroiled in ethnic violence between the Meitians and Kukis.
It was hard not to worry about her family.
It was difficult not to let fear take over her mind and stay focused on the task at hand: winning a medal at the Asian Games.
She has achieved the goal of winning a medal in the not-so-popular wushu, but the safety and security of her parents keeps her anxious and sad.
“Anything can happen at any time,” the 22-year-old told PTI after winning silver on Thursday.
In faraway China, an emotional Roshibina cannot celebrate the achievement.
“None of my immediate family members or relatives have been affected by the violence, but our village has been on the boil for almost five months. Manipur has been on the brink since May. Anything can happen at any time. So I worry about my parents and siblings. ,” she said
For more than four months, everyone around Roshibina has tried to protect her from the daily struggle for survival that her family faces in violence-hit Manipur, so that she can concentrate on her sport.
The strategy appears to have worked as her campaign at the Asian Games culminated in a silver medal in the sanda 60kg category. She had won bronze at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.
More than 180 people have been killed and several hundred injured since ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3, when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organized in the hill districts to protest the majority Meitei community’s demand for the Scheduled Tribe status.
“The violence resulting from the conflict has not stopped, it is only increasing. I don’t know when it will stop. I’ve tried not to think about it much, but it gets to me.
“I am playing for India and asking for help to bring Manipur back to normal,” said Roshibina, who belongs to the Meitei community.
Roshibina’s farmer father, Naorem Damu Singh, owns a small plot of land in their nondescript village of Kwashiphai in Bishnupur district. Her mother Romila Devi also helps her husband. The wushu player has an elder sister, who is currently studying in Guwahati, and a younger brother.
The village of Roshibina is located about 4 km from the district headquarters of Bishnupur, which is about 35 km from Churachandpur.
Bishnupur and Churachandpur are among the worst affected districts by the violence in Manipur. Churachandpur is dominated by the Kuki community.
The conflict between the two communities has killed dozens of people and injured many more. Every family must contribute a strong man and woman to protect their villages, and Roshibina’s parents are no exception.
“My mother takes part in self-protection activities as part of Meira Paibis (women torchbearers) and my father also takes part in patrolling and monitoring the roads and alleys in our village,” Roshibina’s younger brother Naorem Priojit Singh said from Manipur.
“We don’t tell her much about the tense situation in Manipur because it will affect her game. She called last week but my parents told her to concentrate only on her game.”
Roshibina spent two months at the wushu national training camp in Srinagar ahead of the Asian Games. She had gone home during a 15-day break in June, but she did not go to her village. She stayed at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Center at Takyel in Imphal.
“My father came to meet me. That was in June. I sometimes speak to them on the phone. My coaches do not allow me to talk to them regularly because that can affect my performance,” said Roshibina, one of the 43 athletes from Manipur representing the country in the continental event.
Earlier, a sobbing Roshibina had dedicated her medal to those “who protect us and suffer there.”
“Manipur is on fire. There is fighting in Manipur. I can’t go to my village. “I want to dedicate this medal to those who protect us and suffer there,” she said.
The Manipuri athlete cried inconsolably as she added, “I don’t know what will happen, the fighting continues. When will it stop and return to normal life as before.”
She spoke to her parents on Wednesday and they asked her to focus on the final without getting distracted by the violence in Manipuri.
The Indian struggled against Wu Xiaowei, the reigning champion in the category, allowing the Chinese to get off to a strong start. Wu was declared the winner by the jury after two rounds.
Roshibina started her wushu career in 2012 when she was studying in grade four at a local school, following the advice of a relative who recommended her to a local coach.
“An elder sister (sic) from my village suggested that I enroll in the SAI center in Manipur, she was also at SAI at the time. My parents agreed and sent my performance details to a local coach, Maibam Premkumar Singh , who is SAI. Imphal head coach.
“I started my career that way and went on to win national and international medals,” said the wushu player, a first-year BA student at CI College, Bishnupur.
“What I am today is because of Premkumar sir,” she added.
She also said she missed the three wushu players – Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega and Mepung Lamgu – from Arunachal Pradesh, who were selected in the Asian Games team but were denied valid visas by the Chinese government.
“We are very good friends and we support each other. But they are not there and I feel very sad.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)